Chapter 55

Li Zhixuan thought to himself, I’m done for.

Sure enough, before he could even make another move, Li Sipei’s expression darkened abruptly. “Get out.”

Li Zhixuan had known Li Sipei for a long time, but this was the first time he had ever heard him use such harsh words.

His face turned pale, then flushed, shifting between colors. Hastily, he muttered an apology, rushed in to grab the bag Pei Yu had left on the sofa, and quickly backed out of the room with his head lowered.

Once outside, he made sure to close the door behind him.

Click.

This time, the door was well and truly shut.

However, his mood remained at rock bottom. With an ashen face, he turned his head and saw Ruan Xin walking toward him from the elevator.

“What’s wrong with you? You look awful,” Ruan Xin guessed, “Did Third Master scold you?”

Li Zhixuan shook his head. He walked a few steps toward the elevator in silence before turning back and asking, “Next time, could you please make sure the door is fully closed?”

“Huh?” Ruan Xin was utterly confused, having no idea what he was referring to.

Li Zhixuan hesitated, then swallowed back all the words he wanted to say. “Forget it. Let’s go.”

Ruan Xin gave him a strange look.

—

Inside the hospital room, Mi Zhao was completely frozen. It wasn’t until Li Sipei tugged at his sleeve that he snapped out of it.

He instinctively tried to climb off the bed, but Li Sipei pulled him back.

“Where are you going?”

Mi Zhao wanted to say that he needed to head back to school. After all, given Li Sipei’s status, there was no telling how many more people might come to visit.

But when he met Li Sipei’s gaze, the words got stuck in his throat. After a brief hesitation, he sighed and said, “I’m going to brush my teeth again.”

Li Sipei’s grip on him didn’t loosen. His gaze carried a trace of scrutiny. “Are you planning to leave?”

“….” Mi Zhao thought, Li Sipei is really sharp—he figured it out so quickly. But he wasn’t going to admit it. “I never said that.”

“It’s written all over your face.”

“…” Mi Zhao was speechless for a moment before he simply flopped back onto the bed beside him. “Fine, I won’t brush my teeth then. But if I kiss you later, don’t complain.”

Li Sipei’s expression softened slightly. He reached out, pulling Mi Zhao into his arms. “I won’t complain.”

Mi Zhao was convinced. But he couldn’t last long—after lying down for just a short while, he struggled back up again. “I really am just going to brush my teeth. Even if you don’t mind, I mind having morning breath.”

To prove that he had no other intentions, he brushed his teeth at lightning speed and then returned to Li Sipei’s side.

But before getting back into bed, he made sure to lock the door this time.

Under the blanket, the two of them curled up together once more. Mi Zhao lay on his side, carefully wrapping his arms around Li Sipei’s waist. Looking up at Li Sipei’s jawline, he sighed with a complicated expression.

The hand resting on his shoulder gave him a reassuring pat. “Why the sigh?”

“Are you okay? I bit down a little hard earlier because I got startled,” Mi Zhao said worriedly. He was genuinely concerned about his future prospects—if he had caused any lasting damage to Li Sipei, he’d be the one to suffer for it.

Clearly, Li Sipei didn’t want to discuss the matter. His response was brief. “I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Mm.”

“This is a hospital, you know. If something’s wrong, don’t just keep it in—we need to seek medical attention promptly.”

“…” Li Sipei firmly patted his back. “It’s late. Go to sleep.”

That effectively shut Mi Zhao up. He nuzzled into the crook of Li Sipei’s shoulder, inhaling the faint scent of medicine on him. For some reason, it made him feel inexplicably content.

He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

But just as he was about to drift off, his eyes suddenly snapped open. Unable to resist, he reached out. “How about I massage it for you?”

His hand was swiftly intercepted by Li Sipei.

“Mi Zhao.” Li Sipei’s voice carried a trace of restraint as he pulled Mi Zhao’s hand out from under the blanket, firmly interlocking their fingers. “Is that something you can just massage?”

Mi Zhao tilted his head. “I was just worried that you might still be in pain…”

After all, when he had been hiding under the blanket earlier, he could feel how tense Li Sipei’s body was.

Li Sipei closed his eyes, tightened his embrace around Mi Zhao, and pressed a soft kiss to his hair. “Sleep.”

“…Alright.”

—

That night, Mi Zhao thought he’d be too excited to fall asleep, considering it was their first night after getting back together.

Yet, just a few minutes later, his breathing had already evened out into a steady rhythm.

It was Li Sipei who couldn’t sleep.

His fingers lightly brushed against the back of Mi Zhao’s hand as he gazed down at his sleeping face.

It was as if time had come to a halt—his focus never wavered, remaining solely on Mi Zhao.

—

Meanwhile, Lin Qiuzu was having an exceptionally unlucky time.

In an effort to gain favor in A University’s Publicity Club and find an opportunity to suppress Mi Zhao, he had boasted about sponsoring one of their events.

But just as he made his grand promise, his allowance from home was suddenly cut short.

When he called his father to demand an explanation, the old man was even angrier than he was.

“Do I need to list out everything you’ve been up to? I work myself to the bone to earn money so our family can live well, so you and your mother can hold your heads high. And what do you do? Running around making a mess, lending out the new car I bought for your mother—are you trying to drive me to an early grave?”

Lin Qiuzu had rarely seen his father this furious, and for a moment, he was stunned.

Only after his father finished ranting did he furrow his brows and ask, “Dad, did someone say something to you?”

“Hah! If you don’t want people to know, don’t do anything shady in the first place. Until you learn to behave, don’t even think about getting another cent from me.”

Before this, Lin Qiuzu had been receiving his usual allowance.

But after that phone call, his living expenses were suddenly cut in half.

Forget sponsoring the Publicity Club’s event—now he could barely scrape by himself.

With no other choice, he could only avoid the members of the Publicity Club and the Networking Club he had previously interacted with. However, there are no secrets that remain hidden forever, and his act of standing people up soon became a topic of discussion among many.

Fortunately, Lin Qiuzu had thick enough skin that such gossip didn’t significantly affect his life.

However, as time passed, some new voices began to mix in with the old rumors.

That day, he was rehearsing for the New Year’s program with a few classmates. On their way to the cafeteria, they ran into the Publicity Club President outside the teaching building.

After the incident, their school’s Publicity Club President seemed to feel ashamed and had cut off all contact with A University’s Publicity Club.

When they met face-to-face, Lin Qiuzu pretended not to see him, pulling out his phone and looking down at the screen.

To his surprise, the Publicity Club President walked straight up to him.

“Lin Qiuzu, we used to have a pretty good relationship, so let me give you a friendly warning.” Though his words sounded kind, his tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Lin Qiuzu couldn’t keep up the act anymore. He shoved his phone into his pocket and looked up. “A warning about what?”

The Publicity Club President asked in return, “Think about whether you’ve offended anyone.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiuzu frowned, his tone turning impatient. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Stop playing riddles with me.”

Seeing his reaction, the Publicity Club President crossed his arms and sneered, deliberately raising his voice in the crowded walkway. “People are saying that not only are you gay, but you’re also a professional homewrecker who specializes in stealing other people’s boyfriends.”

His sharp, high-pitched voice immediately drew the attention of many passing students, who started glancing at Lin Qiuzu with curiosity.

Lin Qiuzu froze on the spot, his face turning completely pale.

“A University’s Li Yan—” The Publicity Club President deliberately dragged out the name, his tone full of implications. “I heard you stole him too.”

Before he even finished speaking, a loud smack echoed.

Lin Qiuzu had slapped him across the head.

There weren’t many things that could make Lin Qiuzu lose his temper, but the Publicity Club President had undoubtedly hit his sore spot—and was even stomping all over it.

“Talking nonsense! Are you f*cking brainless? You believe whatever you hear?!” Lin Qiuzu’s eyes were red as he cursed angrily.

The Publicity Club President was stunned for a full half-minute before his face twisted with rage. “You hit me?”

“I f*cking did!”

“You—” The Publicity Club President didn’t even bother arguing and lunged at Lin Qiuzu.

—

Li Yan was waiting for a ride outside A University’s gate when he got the call. He immediately canceled his ride, put away his phone, and ran across the street toward the dance academy.

Outside the infirmary, three people were standing—two women and one man. Li Yan recognized them as Lin Qiuzu’s classmates.

He nodded at them and asked, “Where’s Lin Qiuzu?”

For some reason, he felt that their gazes carried an indescribable meaning, making him uneasy.

“He’s inside.” One of them pointed toward the infirmary. “Just some minor injuries. The school doctor said it’s nothing serious—just needs some ointment.”

“Thanks.” Li Yan quickly stepped inside.

The infirmary door was wide open, and the hushed whispers of those three people floated into his ears.

“I told you they had that kind of relationship, but you guys wouldn’t believe me. See? Otherwise, why would one phone call bring him running?”

“I remember Li Yan used to be close with that Mi guy. Don’t tell me Lin Qiuzu stole him from Mi?”

“That actually seems likely. If you ask me, what Lin Qiuzu did was really messed up.”

“It takes two to tango. Don’t just blame Lin Qiuzu—Li Yan cheated while in a relationship too. He’s no saint either.”

Li Yan’s heart sank, and his brows furrowed deeply.

He strode inside and found Lin Qiuzu lying on a hospital bed behind a white curtain near the wall.

Lin Qiuzu’s injuries were on his face—one bruise under his eye and another at the corner of his mouth. They weren’t severe, but they made him look pretty miserable.

Lin Qiuzu was obsessed with his face and figure. When Li Yan arrived, he was still holding a small mirror, his eyes welling up with tears. “Li Yan…”

Before he could finish speaking, the light in front of him suddenly dimmed.

A hand grabbed his face with enough force to make him wince in pain. Tears rolled down his cheeks like broken beads, dripping onto that hand.

“Who told you to reveal our relationship?” Li Yan’s expression was so dark it was almost terrifying. His eyes were filled with fury, as if he wanted to tear Lin Qiuzu apart. “Are you insane? You even brought up our past with Mi Zhao?”

Lin Qiuzu had already been feeling aggrieved, and now, with Li Yan accusing him, he started sobbing uncontrollably. “You’re the one who’s insane! It wasn’t me!”

“Then who was it?”

“How would I know? I called you here to tell you about this!” Lin Qiuzu clutched Li Yan’s arm, his eyes swollen from crying. His bruised face, streaked with snot and tears, looked both pitiful and hideous.

Li Yan, overwhelmed by irritation, flung his hand away.

Lin Qiuzu lost his balance and fell onto the bed, coughing. He then lifted his head and spoke bitterly, “Do you think Mi Zhao is getting revenge on us?”